Former Holly Springs Salamander, Andrew Wantz, made his Major League debut July 4 for the Los Angeles Angels. Wantz entered the game in relief in the sixth inning, allowing only one hit and no runs over 1 2/3 innings while striking out two in the Angels 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
The Holly Springs, N.C., native was drafted in the 7th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Angels out of UNC Greensboro. Wantz spent three seasons in the minors, accumulating a 4.35 ERA across 144.2 innings pitched but saw his 2021 numbers at the AAA level improve to a 2.10 ERA over eight games before earning his call-up to the Angels on July 3.
The hometown kid played for the Salamanders during the team’s inaugural season in 2015, in fact he was the first pitcher to take the mound at Ting Stadium in team history. He finished the season with a 5.57 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 42 innings pitched. His debut marks the 146th all-time former CPL player to make their major league debut and the seventh of the 2021 MLB season. Wantz also became the first Salamander player to make it to the major leagues.